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Living Free - July 3, 2008

Today's Scripture”Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” Exodus 20:8 NIV

Thoughts for TodayThe fourth commandment focuses on setting aside a time for rest and worship and clearly shows that God is concerned about our time.

In today's world, time seems to be a real issue for most people. We have time management courses and an unending stream of electronic devices to help us organize, schedule and remember.

God wants us to balance work with rest and worship. Even he set aside a day of rest after six days of creation. Jesus set aside times to rest away from the crowds. And so we need to learn to balance all our busy activities with rest and worship. Sabbath means rest. God told us to set aside this time because he loves us and knows we need it. Without a special time to rest and worship, our focus on God will become dim. We will tend to stress out and to suffer physically and emotionally, as well as spiritually.

Consider this…Jesus said that the Sabbath was made for man. It is a time to regroup for the coming days. A time to focus on God. A time to enjoy our family and to experience rest and recreation.

God has given us this gift. Let’s enjoy it!

Prayer…Lord, thank you for the Sabbath, for this special time for rest and worship. Help me learn to balance my time and activities and not neglect the Sabbath. In Jesus’ name …

These thoughts were drawn from…The Ten Commandments by Dr. Jimmy Ray Lee helps us understand God's boundaries. It shows how the Ten Commandments apply today. It also discusses the biblical laws on which the legal codes of every civilized society are based. This guide is written in a way that helps people see the Ten Commandments in light of today's problems. Note: This curriculum was written especially for small groups and we encourage people to use it that way. However, it can also be used effectively as a personal study for individuals or couples.